The local bird’s nest industry hopes to soar again in December, once details between Malaysia and China are sorted out.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Deputy Minister Chua Tee Yong said the minister, Noh Omar, had stated the country hoped to resume export of raw cleaned bird’s nest in December, before working on raw uncleaned bird’s nest.

“The ministry however, needs to hold meetings with the health ministry to look into China’s requirements of traceability, and it is important that we clear the protocol issue.

“Any exporter’s list would need to be forwarded to China,” he said at a press conference after opening the First Regional Conference on Agro-biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Utilisation in Langkawi today.

Chua said it was similar to the durian export arrangement with China, whereby exports to China must go through an audit by China’s General Administration on Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine on a sample basis.

- Bernama